Just started patterning my Browning Maxus 26" Barrel. 3.5" Help?

[MegaStrutter]

Just fired the first few shots out of my brand new Browning Maxus.  It has a 26" Barrel.  From some of the posts that I read on here I put on a .670 Primos Jellyhead.  I was using 3.5" Winchester Supreme Elite Extended Range #5 2oz shells.  I am just looking for a good turkey killing pattern at 40 yds.  I only had 60 shots in a 10" circle.  I was hoping for 100+, but I am under the impression that 200+ hits in the 10" circle at 40 yds may be a little too tight for me.  I also put the Browning XtraFull choke tube that came with the gun in and got virtually the same results.  Any suggestions on where I should go from here?  Different choke?  Different shells?

[chipper]

Probably a little to tight with the #5's, I believe the #6 would serve you better out of that choke plus. I'd check poa vs. Poi on some large paper or cardboard. Those #6 XRHD per form really well out to 40.

[runngun]

Pure Gold 670 with Hevi 7s in mine, shoots awesome!!!

[jrseale82]

Hevi shot turkey choke works well in mine with hevi 13 7s and mag blends.  Mine is a 28'' though. 

[allaboutshooting]

Just fired the first few shots out of my brand new Browning Maxus.  It has a 26" Barrel.  From some of the posts that I read on here I put on a .670 Primos Jellyhead.  I was using 3.5" Winchester Supreme Elite Extended Range #5 2oz shells.  I am just looking for a good turkey killing pattern at 40 yds.  I only had 60 shots in a 10" circle.  I was hoping for 100+, but I am under the impression that 200+ hits in the 10" circle at 40 yds may be a little too tight for me.  I also put the Browning XtraFull choke tube that came with the gun in and got virtually the same results.  Any suggestions on where I should go from here?  Different choke?  Different shells?

Browning recommends their choke tube which has a .640 exit diameter for that gun. I like the SSX in those barrels. It has an e.d. of 643 and with #6 shot, I prefer 3" Hevi-13 "Bronze" shells with with 2 oz. of shot, it shoots some amazing patterns at 40 yards.

Another choke that my readers are having excellent patterns with is the Hevi-13 Turkey Choke, with an e.d. of .671.

To me that really demonstrates that it's more about the interior geometry, than the exit diameter.

Chokes on both ends of the spectrum do well.

Thanks,
Clark

[8upbowhunter]

My Maxus with a 28" barrel and Jellyhead is getting right around 100 in the 10 shooting 3.5" Win Supreme HV #6.

[MegaStrutter]

I am cleaning my gun now after shooting it for the first time yesterday.  Very dirty.  Still cleaning.  Could that have been part of my problem?  I had it looking great before I started, but the gun was just out of the box.  How often should you clean your barrel when patterning?  I shot probably 10 shots.  Is there any seasoning or anything that needs to be done to a new barrel?

[allaboutshooting]

I am cleaning my gun now after shooting it for the first time yesterday.  Very dirty.  Still cleaning.  Could that have been part of my problem?  I had it looking great before I started, but the gun was just out of the box.  How often should you clean your barrel when patterning?  I shot probably 10 shots.  Is there any seasoning or anything that needs to be done to a new barrel?

Browning makes some of the finest factory barrels in the industry. They are normally very smooth and concentric. I recommend that you "deep clean" any barrel prior to shooting it for the first time but you can do that anytime in the process. (You can read the article "Cleaning a Shotgun Barrel" by clicking on my banner below this post.)

After you've deep cleaned a barrel, just normal cleaning is required. By normal I mean first running a dry brush through the bore, followed by a wet patch (Hoppe's #9 is what I use) over your brush down the bore, then a dry patch over the brush to finish.

When I pattern a new load, I start out with a clean bore but do not clean between shots. The only way to learn how your combo shoots best is to start clean and then shoot until it degrades or in many cases gets better. If you clean between every shot, you'll never learn that.

I only clean when patterns start to degrade or if I switch chokes or shells.

A boresnake also works for routine cleaning if you prefer to use one of those. I really like the "Viper" version. It's much better than the original model.

Thanks,
Clark

[gtrjames]

I have the same gun and shoot the SSX tube I got from Clark with Hevi 13 bronze 2 oz 6s....the best patterns I've ever had by far...I've tried lots of shells and chokes and this combo is the one for me.

[Jabber]

Browning recommends their choke tube which has a .640 exit diameter for that gun. I like the SSX in those barrels. It has an e.d. of 643 and with #6 shot, I prefer 3" Hevi-13 "Bronze" shells with with 2 oz. of shot, it shoots some amazing patterns at 40 yards.

Not to question your post, but are you sure it's .640? that would make it tighter than the tightest 12g turkey choke available - e.g. the 12G Pure Gold choke tube is .670 in comparison; sounds like a "card shooter" choke to me. Maybe the bore measurements i.e. "exit diameter" needs explaining. 

I read their site as well (http://www.browning.com/customerservice/qna/detail.asp?ID=100) and they say the extra full flush mount invector plus tube (that comes with the All purpose infinity 26" barrel) is .697.

BTW, how does the extra full perform with say Hevi 13# 6? I always had a PG .670 on mine (patterns great) and although I have that choke never used it.

[allaboutshooting]

Browning recommends their choke tube which has a .640 exit diameter for that gun. I like the SSX in those barrels. It has an e.d. of 643 and with #6 shot, I prefer 3" Hevi-13 "Bronze" shells with with 2 oz. of shot, it shoots some amazing patterns at 40 yards.

Not to question your post, but are you sure it's .640? that would make it tighter than the tightest 12g turkey choke available - e.g. the 12G Pure Gold choke tube is .670 in comparison; sounds like a "card shooter" choke to me. Maybe the bore measurements i.e. "exit diameter" needs explaining. 

I read their site as well (http://www.browning.com/customerservice/qna/detail.asp?ID=100) and they say the extra full flush mount invector plus tube (that comes with the All purpose infinity 26" barrel) is .697.

BTW, how does the extra full perform with say Hevi 13# 6? I always had a PG .670 on mine (patterns great) and although I have that choke never used it.

Here you go http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/accessories/detail.asp?cid=113&tid=38773&fid=003J&cattype=11338773

The Invector plus barrels have an inside diameter of .742 and the "Full Strut" turkey choke has a constriction of .102 or an exit diameter of .640 (.742 - .102 = .640)

It works very well in Invector plus barrels. I prefer the SSX however and see better patterns with it.

It's really all about the internal geometry of the choke, how it's designed, rather than just the exit diameter of the choke tube.

Chokes with vastly different exit diameters can pattern very well in the same barrels.

Thanks,
Clark

[Reloader]

I would try the 6s if your stuck on Win XRs, they pattern much better than the 5s.  My two INV+ 26" bbls do quite well with the JH670 choke and Winchester's lead #6 turkey shell line as well as Hevi 6s or 7s.  The Star Dot is another good one as well with both lead and hevi 6s or 7s.